


The Right of Kings

by malcolmn666



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 16 years from sozins comet, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, basically azula struggles to be an independent fire lord while ozai remains phoenix king, but he doesn't join the gaang either, very minor slight implied homophobia, zuko doesn't return to the fire nation in season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 06:49:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26468971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malcolmn666/pseuds/malcolmn666
Summary: Azula has been Fire Lord except...she hasn't REALLY been Fire Lord. Thanks a lot, Dad.Canon divergence from end of Season 2 - Zuko doesn't get to come back to the FN, Azula and Ozai are never defeated.In which Zuko is done, Azula is done, and Izumi just likes to hang out with her cool aunt sometimes.
Relationships: Azula & Izumi (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Izumi & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 100





	The Right of Kings

**Author's Note:**

> swearing, implied homophobia re ozai
> 
> (I definitely read Azula as gay, and Zuko as either bi/gay so...)

Fire Lord Azula had ascended the Dragon Throne at fourteen. Her father had formally abdicated—handing her his old title as some sort of _consolation prize—_ before he left with a fleet of airships to burn the northern Earth Kingdom continent to the ground. After nearly sixteen years, Phoenix King Ozai had only returned to the palace in Caldera five times. He ruled his empire from Ba Sing Se.

And Azula _hated_ him for it.

She was _Fire Lord_ , and yet to him, she was just his _princess_. When she had been younger, she still had yet to understand. Part of her understanding, she supposed, began when Zuko introduced her to Izumi—another part of it was just Zuko himself. Still, it had been crawling under her skin for a long time, every report she found neglected from years and years ago, or every time Mai confirmed that one of her advisors was a plant, or every dismissive letter she received, stamped with the symbol of the Phoenix Empire, as a response to her detailed concerns ( _demands_ ).

She was the fucking _Fire Lord—_

_Izumi_ was the princess.

__

She had not been very taken with her niece at first. She had Zuko’s eyes and the shadow of his face, high-boned and elegant, but she was clearly mixed with Earth Kingdom peasantry in her complexion and expressions. Her brother had raised her on his ship for six years before Azula pointedly lifted his banishment. She had been ill-mannered then, if sweet; Zuko had certainly spoiled her with affections.

Still, Izumi was a clever girl, and a gifted firebender. Her immediate admiration of Azula had been inspiring in the way Ty Lee’s devotion was a comfort. She was a quick study, too, and now at twelve, she made for a fine princess.

On Izumi’s tenth birthday, she announced her intention to make her niece her heir. Zuko had been stubborn, but still proud—he was _always_ proud of his daughter, even when she made a complete fool of herself—lecturing her for hours after dinner about how he wanted Izumi to be raised. _Raised_. Not molded—not trained—not _sharpened—_

But anyway.

Zuko was somewhere in the deep south of the Earth Kingdom, on the edge of Resistance territory. Azula estimated his mission would take about three months to complete. She had given him a Fire Nation crew—for she was not foolish enough to hand him off a boat of men loyal to Ozai alone—and a promise that she would refrain from training Izumi for longer than two hours at a time.

(That was not exactly the promise, but rather Azula’s choice interpretation.)

Izumi didn’t tattle on her, anyway. She was a much better liar than her father was.

Azula wasn’t supposed to take her to Ba Sing Se, either, but Ozai had refused to answer her directly, and she was growing irritated. As Fire Lord, she thought the entire trip was rather inappropriate. She felt like a child coming to beg for pocket change or a night out with friends.

If Izumi sensed her aunt’s darkening mood on their journey, she said nothing. She wouldn’t say anything to Zuko, Azula knew, because the girl had a look in her eyes that they were up to general mischief—and Izumi _loved_ secret mischief with her aunt. Zuko made for a doting, overbearing parent, but Azula was _exciting_.

__

When they arrived, Azula opted for her robes embroidered with green and blue—green, to remind her father that _she_ had conquered his city, and blue, of course, for her flames—and then spent about ten minutes fussing over her niece’s hair while the hairdresser grew increasingly panicked. Eventually, Izumi was presentable as well. She wore simple, deep reds; Azula figured it would be ill-advised to even _suggest_ her Earth Kingdom heritage, despite it being known.

She saw her father for the first time in years in a throne room so gaudy that she feared, for a half second, Izumi might forget herself and laugh. But she did not—she was a clever girl—and they approached the man waiting for them with caution. Azula waited until the last moment to bow, her skin crawling and her heart constricting.

Her father was graying, but the process was incomplete. He was still tall and intimidating, all sharp lines. Somehow, Zuko looked like him—carved with the same bones, the same clay—but the resemblance was wrong. Ozai was the monster, but Zuko was just his shadow, and not much else.

Oh, she _hated_ him. She remembered being young, sitting on the Earth King’s throne. She remembered being a conqueror. She remembered being feared. She remembered Zuko—so, _so_ angry—when she unshackled him, and told him the news: the Avatar was dead, Ba Sing Se was hers in a matter of weeks, and Father would be so _pleased_. Won’t you stay here, dear brother, and oversee? Won’t you serve your nation?

And now Izumi was knelt beside her, her face so carefully neutral.

“Who is this, Daughter?”

He approached, his eyes narrowed, predatory.

“Your granddaughter, Princess Izumi,” she answered. But of course he _knew—_ how could he not know, when she had _written_ , announced—the girl _gave a speech not two months ago_ , she had a _presence—_

With his right hand, he tilted Izumi’s face upward. Azula wondered if the girl had the sense of it, when Ozai’s hand trailed upward, almost cupping her cheek. The moment was over quickly, but the Fire Lord found herself in danger of snapping. If her brother could see, he might have done more than his daily treason.

“I disowned Zuko years ago. She is not my granddaughter,” he stated coldly, circling them.

“She is not responsible for her father’s failures,” Azula said coolly. “You may not consider her your granddaughter, but I consider her my niece. Princess Izumi is—”

“Silence, Azula.” She nearly choked. “I know why you have come here. The answer is _no_.”

“Father, I understand your reservations. But I have been personally seeing to Izumi’s education for four years. Allow her to demonstrate her firebending, or to recite—”

“I do not care about whatever foolishness you taught her. In the end, she is your brother’s daughter, and your brother has since been removed from our family. But of course, you have forgotten that, haven’t you?” he sneered, leaning toward her; Azula did not flinch. “As you have so boldly disregarded his banishment, and invited him back to the palace the moment I was gone?”

“I— _it had been years_ , Father, and the Avatar—”

“The Avatar you claimed to have slain, only for him to reappear with an invasion force during the eclipse, _Azula_?”

She was thirty—except she was eleven. Fourteen. Zuko was gone. Uncle was gone. Everyone was _gone_ , and no one was going to protect her from Ozai—

There is no reason for her to meet Ozai, Zuko had said. Ozai, not Father. She had heard him, once or twice, crying out at night, trapped in some nightmare, begging him to _stop_. She had never begged; she had never cowered.

She was thirty, she was the Fire Lord. She was the most powerful woman in the world. She was—

“...I know why, of course. Your brother has those...tendencies as well.” He was still talking, and Azula felt herself come spinning back into her body. Her skin crawled. “Of course, he went and produced an heir, anyway. No, Azula, you cannot allow your brother’s weakness back into the line. You have resisted for years, but it is no matter—it is your _duty_ , as Fire Lord, to see to continuation. Fortunately for you, I have narrowed down a list of acceptable candidates. You will select one and be married by summer’s end. And then, within two years, you will present me an _acceptable_ heir.” He paused then, stopping in front of them both. “Zuko may return once more to the homeland to receive the order. After that, by order of the Phoenix King, his banishment from the Fire Nation is extended indefinitely.”

“As you wish, Father.” She touched her head to the cold floor, and heard the rustling of Izumi’s robes as she did the same.

She did not let herself rage until she was in her own quarters on the ship, and she was sure Izumi could not hear her.

(She did, but she loved her aunt too much to say anything.)

* * *

“Aunt Azula...am I banished, too?” Izumi asked hesitantly once they were home. They were having dinner on Azula’s personal balcony overlooking the gardens. Above them, the sky was a glorious blend of oranges and pinks, stretching toward the edge of the caldera.

“No, you are not,” she answered firmly.

“But...Dad is.”

“Yes.”

“...Why?”

“Why are you not banished, or why is your father banished?” Her voice was colder than she’d meant it to be, but Izumi was unfazed.

“Both. I don’t understand.”

Azula sighed. It was annoying that her older brother had failed to explain anything unflattering or ugly to his daughter; he was far too protective and stifling, especially when it came to a child of Izumi’s mind and abilities.

“Well, your father was banished when he was a boy for cowardice. He disrespected the Fire Lord, and then refused to fight the resulting Agni Kai. Initially, the terms of his banishment allowed him to return home if he captured the Avatar. But, when I conquered Ba Sing Se, I had incorrectly believed that I killed him. Of course, lightning _would_ kill most people...I left your father to oversee the city. The Fire Lord was indifferent to his activities then. When it was discovered the Avatar had lived, Zuko was going to go after him again—but the terms of his banishment had already been changed. I didn’t know it at the time, until _I_ was Fire Lord, and I found the order. I let him know it was useless, and sent him on a new mission.”

“And then you lifted it.”

“Indeed. I thought it was excessive. Your father is more useful not-banished, anyway.”

Izumi hummed in acknowledgement, her eyes downcast. Azula resisted the urge to brush her hair behind her ear.

“As far as why you’re not banished—well. How will I teach you the advanced sets if you’re not here? I have a nation to run; I can’t go gallivanting across the world after you.”

A small smile broke onto her face, but she still did not look up from her plate. “I’m going to miss him so much.”

Azula said nothing to that. She had never quite forgiven Zuko for getting himself banished in the first place. Of course now it would leave him abandoning his daughter, at nearly the same age Azula had been; she felt a brief, sharp anger strike her.

_Just like mother_.

* * *

After Zuko saw Izumi to bed, he holed himself up in Azula’s office while she rifled through a few reports. He had decided he deserved the most expensive wine the palace had to offer and was about half a bottle in before he poured a glass for his sister. She had never much cared for alcohol—neither had Ozai—but, she supposed, traveling around with a bunch of dishonorable sailors had greatly impacted him in more ways than one.

“I know you’re lying to me about something,” he was saying agitatedly, swirling his glass around in the corner. “Zumi’s in on it. I _know_.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered, trying to ignore him while she skimmed a paragraph for the second or third time.

“I’m talking about why Ozai renewed my banishment again!” he growled. “I haven’t done _shit—_ ”

“Zu-zu, half of your activities involve treason, and it’s not exactly a secret.”

He scowled. “I am loyal to the Fire Nation! I would _never_!”

“Oh really, _never_? Never, Zuko? Then tell me how murdering General Mikumo wasn’t treason? Or your little stints as the Blue Spirit? Aiding Resistance settlements? Ferrying around deserters?” She smirked as his face dropped in horror. “Oh, believe me, I know _everything_.”

“I—that wasn’t— _I’m not a traitor!_ ”

Azula allowed herself to laugh while her brother shrunk in on himself. He pleasantly didn’t look much like Ozai at all, even with his hair grown out past his shoulders. The scar did good work of it, that and his growing shame.

“I know you’re not a traitor to _me_ ,” she said. “But...I suspect that is what Father’s worried about.”

He frowned. “But...why now?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She took a sip of the wine, considering it. “Father just likes to be in control. And when his little pawns don’t do exactly what he likes... _well_. I think he would have you killed, if he could be certain you didn’t survive it. After all, look at what happened to Zhao.”

“...You don’t think he would try to hurt Izumi, do you? He isn’t... _threatened_...by her?”

Azula tensed. “Izumi is safe here. However, you should still _tone down_ the treason, Brother.”

Zuko stared glumly into his empty cup.

“There is another matter.” His eyes—or rather, _eye—_ flew up to meet hers. “Father will not accept Izumi in the line of succession. She already knows. But...I will be married by the end of the summer. You will have a nephew or niece yourself.”

“ _What_? What’s wrong with— _ugh_. This is my fault isn’t it? He’s _cutting Izumi out_?”

“Oh, don’t act so surprised. Would you rather he take an interest in her?”

“Of course not! But—”

“She would have made a fine Fire Lord, I agree. Father is being unreasonable. But as she is _your_ daughter...”

“She’s still family! She’s still _blood_. Agni, Uncle wasn’t even _married_ to that colonial woman, and Lu Ten was considered a legitimate heir.”

“Yes, well. Father clearly wants a grandchild that is legitimate _and_ noble-blooded.”

“We...we are, Azula. That’s...the entire point.”

“No, Dum-dum, not _half-peasant_.” Zuko grumbled, reaching for the bottle again. “You should take a look at the list.”

She handed it to him and leaned back in her chair, enjoying the myriad of disgusted faces her brother made at each name.

“The youngest of them has to be twenty years older than you! This is _sick_.”

“That’s what you noticed, really?” She sighed, taking back the list. “Zuko. They’re all close to Father, operating out of the Phoenix Empire directly. None of them are tied to the traditional clans—at least, not in any way that matters. Consider Minister Nobira—”

“Agh, give it to me again.”

“He’s displeased that I’ve been, you know, _Fire Lord_ , so I’m sure this is his way of keeping me in check,” she said casually.

“He made you Fire Lord, though. What did he expect?”

“My unwavering loyalty.”

Zuko muttered something under his breath.

“Speak up, will you?”

He glared. “It’s not as if he’s _earned_ it. He sits on a fucking—made-up, bullshit—”

“It’s been sixteen years, Zu-zu,” she muttered into her wine. Instead of arguing, he drained his glass. (Again.)

“And aren’t you sick of it?” he cried out in exasperation. “This is— _everything is insane!_ The world is on the brink of total destruction, and he just _sits_ there, and he thinks he can boss us around? I wasted so many years of my life, just trying to be _enough_ for him—”

“Shut _up_ , Zuko—”

“You’re seriously just going to do what he says? You’re going to go along with this? Azula,” he reached for her hands, but she shook out of his reach, “you’re the _Fire Lord_. You don’t have to take this. The world will be so much better without him. I’ll help you—I’ll do it, even. In fact, I’m sure I can find a lot of people to help.”

“You want to declare war on Father?” she said through gritted teeth. “Or are you suggesting assassination? _Please_ tell your Fire Lord the details of your intended treason for today.” She slapped the desk, sending a few papers flying, but Zuko was too worked up to be bothered.

“It’s treason if we don’t do anything! This is for the greater good of the Fire Nation. And, the Fire Lord,” he added hastily. “I’m serious, Azula. I’ll back you.”

“Considering you’re a banished nobody, that isn’t very convincing.”

“Oh, _I’m sorry_ , did someone on his list actually appeal to you?”

Azula exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Don’t go tomorrow,” she said finally. “I have an idea of who to purge in court, but I need to speak with Mai first. You _cannot_ leave the palace until further notice, do you understand?”

Zuko toasted her with his empty glass.

“To Fire Lord Azula, the light of our nation,” he said with a drunken nod. Azula couldn’t help the strange fit of hysteria growing in her chest, and she let out a fluttery laugh. 


End file.
